A quick rebuild may be ahead for the Nashville Predators, so let’s take a look back at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and how some of those picks are fairing.
During the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, the Nashville Predators picked up three strong players. These three players give some reason for hope for future of the Predators as this season is going off the rails a bit.
We’ll likely see at least one or two of these players on a Predators roster in the next couple of years. Let’s check in on how they’re currently fairing on their respective teams as they continue to develop and get ready for an NHL career one day.
Philip Tomasino
This pick up might have been the steal of the entire draft as the Predators had the 24th pick with Philip Tomasino. He’s currently 18 years of age and recently played on the Niagara Icedogs of the OHL before being traded for nine draft picks.
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Now he’s a member of the Oshawa Generals. While dominating at Right Wing, he’s taking the OHL by storm right now. Check out our full report of Tomasino that was posted recently.
Tomasino strongly represents his hometown of Mississauga, Canada on and off the ice. He’s a dynamic skater and has a high ceiling as an offensive force to be reckoned with on the NHL level. Although he shoots right, he is definitely the right pick for this team.
Currently, he has 32 goals, 46 assists, with a total of 78 points for the 2019-20 season. His cap hit is approximately 925,000 dollars, per CapFriendly. He is an overall spectacular player with great speed. He is definitely going to be a rock star player for the Nashville Predators, scoring multiple goals and leading the team into the playoff season.
Hopefully, we’ll see Tomasino on the Predators lineup in the next three or four years. Again, he is only 18-years-old, so he still has experiences to catch up on and developing to do. In the end, he is a great person and a fantastic player on the ice.
Egor Afanasyev
Coming at the 45th pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Nashville Predators picked Egor Afanasyev. He is currently 19-years-old and playing on the Windsor Spitfires. He plays the number 11, while destroying the ice as a Left Wing. He is originally from Moscow, Russia, bringing the different international hockey taste to Nashville.
He is an amazing guy off the ice, while living his dream with hockey everyday. He has a contagious smile, bringing some fun dynamics to the team.
Currently, he has 19 goals and 27 assists for the 2019-20 season, resulting in 46 points all around. His cap hit is approximately 817,500 dollars, per CapFriendly.
Egor is going to be a star player on the Predators, soon to come. He is going to lead this team along to huge wins and he’ll dominate the playoffs with his powerful skill.
Being 19-years-old, we might see him on the lineup roster in the next three years, or even four years. It all comes down to how well he will play by then and the decision will be made by GM David Poile (or the current GM when that time comes), and the coaching staff.
Marc Del Gaizo
In the 4th Round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Nashville Predators picked Marc Del Gaizo from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minutemen. He was picked at 109th overall. He is 20-years-old and 188 pounds.
Del Gaizo plays defense, while shooting left-handed. He’s originally from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. As of the 2019-20 season he has two goals and seven assists.
In the 2017-18 season, Del Gaizo played on the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL and had 38 points. He also went to the playoffs that season and racked up another four points.
In the 2018-19 season, played in the NCAA for the UMass Amherst Minutemen. In that season, he had a productive season with 29 points. He definitely has room to improve on his overall playing strategy.
Before he commits to a Predators lineup roster spot, he needs to score more goals and make more assists. “He plays defense with an active stick and good gap control, but his positioning could use some work.” (Eric D, ontheforcheck.com)
Del Gaizo needs to become a stronger player before he’s ready to join the Nashville Predators. It takes time in the NHL more so than other sports to develop into an all-around strong enough player to play NHL minutes at a quality level.
These are just three players coming up the Predators pipeline that gives hope for the future. A strong pipeline can speed up a rebuild period, or help avoid one altogether. The Predators are in troubled waters right now, and might become sellers at this year’s trade deadline in February.